Chocolate Cookies

This recipe is the base we use for both chocolate cookies and chocolate chocolate chippers. The basic difference is that the chocolate cookies are rolled and cut out and can be used to make sandwich cookies or even crumbled to make a cookie pie crust, while the slightly plumper chocolate chocolate chippers are drop cookies loaded with chocolate chips. [Editor’s Note: See the Variations beneath the recipe for easy peasy how-tos on making each of these incarnations.]–Kim Ima

LC To Frost Or Not To Frost? Note

Some cookies are so good you want to eat them all yourself. And then there are some cookies sooooo good you just can’t help but share. The only question that remains is to frost or not to frost? The answer’s up to you. Same goes for sprinkles.

Directions

1. In a large bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt.

2. Add the butter and mix until a dough forms. (It may take up to several minutes, but trust us, a dough will eventually form.) Add the milk and vanilla and mix until the dough is smooth. (Again, it may take a minute or more, but the dough will turn smooth. If you opted to use a spoon and not a stand mixer, you may have to eventually work the dough with your hands.)

3. Mold the dough into one big blob, wrap it in plastic wrap or plunk it in a resealable container, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight.

4. Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C) and butter a baking sheet or line it with parchment paper.

5. Roll out the dough to about 1/4-inch thick between sheets of parchment paper. (If the dough is too hard to roll, let it stand at room temperature for about 10 minutes and then try again.) Cut out cookies with a round cookie cutter (or any shape you like). You can reroll any dough scraps. Place the cookies at least 1 inch apart on the baking sheet. (If the dough seems exceptionally sticky as you try to roll it, either return it to the fridge for a few minutes or, alternately, simply shape it into a log and slice it into rounds about 1/4-inch thick.)

6. Bake for 8 minutes if you like a softer cookie, 10 minutes if you prefer a crisper cookie. If the cookies look a little soft when you take them out, don’t worry! They’ll firm up as they cool. Cool completely on the baking sheet or transfer to a wire rack after a few minutes.

Chocolate Cookie Variations

Chocolate Chocolate Chippers

Mix in 1 cup chocolate chips after Step 1. Scoop the dough with a spoon and form a ball of dough with your hands. Place the dough on the baking sheet and press down gently to flatten each cookie. Add a few extra chocolate chips to the top when no one is looking. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until set but still soft—and enjoy!

Ice Cream Sandwiches

Super easy to assemble. Get your ice cream of choice and scoop it onto a freshly baked chocolate cookie. Top with a second cookie. Roll the edges of your ice cream sandwiches in sprinkles/jimmies or chocolate shavings, if you please. Wrap each sandwich in plastic wrap and stick in the freezer. Let them set for at least 1/2 hour. That’s it. Take them out. Eat right away. Do a dance of appreciation.

Classic Chocolate Cookie Crust

Mix 1 2/3 cups chocolate cookie crumbs and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar. Add 1/3 cup butter, melted, and stir until combined. Press the mixture into a 9-inch pie pan. Bake at 350°F (176°C) for 5 to 10 minutes. (For making any kind of cookie crust, you can run the cookies through a food processor or put them in a sturdy plastic storage bag and roll them with a rolling pin. Baking a cookie crust is optional, but I tend to like doing it so as to set the crust and crisp it up.)

Hello. Just a reminder that all our content is copyright protected. Like a photo? Please don't use it without our written permission. Like a recipe? Kindly contact the publisher listed above for permission before you post it (that's what we did) and rewrite it in your own words. That's the law, kids. And don't forget to link back to this page, where you found it. Thanks!